- The suspect in the murder of a Benoni mom has not yet been named.
- He was due to appear in court on Wednesday.
- He appeared in the Benoni Regional Court in absentia.
The 40-year-old suspect in the murder of a Benoni mom who was set alight outside a pre-school during an alleged attack in September, is still under police guard in hospital.
"The suspect is in hospital in a serious condition," police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo told News24 on Thursday.
The man, whose name had not been released yet, was scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
However, according to police, he appeared in the Benoni Regional Court in absentia due to the serious nature of his injuries.
News24 reported in September that a Gauteng woman was rushed to hospital after her car was set alight during an attack outside a Benoni pre-school by a man believed to be her boyfriend.
The woman had just dropped off her four-year-old child at the pre-school when the man approached her car and smashed the driver's window.
Video footage seen by News24 showed the man returning to his car, grabbing something inside it before heading to the victim's vehicle.
The man is then seen motioning towards the vehicle with the item in his hand.
In an apparent attempt to stop the man, the woman heads back to her car. Moments later, the car bursts into flames, and the woman, who was now standing near her vehicle, catches alight, News24 reported.
The suspect was also burnt during the incident.
The woman, 27, died later that month in hospital after succumbing to her wounds.
The suspect was subsequently charged with murder.
News24 reached out to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Gauteng for comment. It will be added once received.